Techie duo puts themselves on line to serve COVID-hit

S Palanivel, 25, and his friend Raghavendar D, both mechanical engineers, launched the initiative ‘We Care Mylapore’, where they deliver free groceries, medicine, and food for the elderly and COVID positive patients under home quarantine.

“In April, we opened a juice shop in Mylapore but had to close it after the lockdown was imposed. But we noticed many COVID positive patients in quarantine and left-alone senior citizens suffering without proper food and medication. So, we came up with this free service, ” said Palanivel.

Starting with 10 people in Mylapore, they now help more than 50 COVID patients every day apart from feeding some of the destitute in the city. They pack around 20 packets of variety rice and around noon, go around to distribute them among the homeless.

The duo has been receiving calls from abroad to help their parents who are staying here alone and tested positive for COVID. “Two days ago, we got a call from a woman living abroad, said her parents have tested COVID positive and are under home quarantine for a week. She said they are running out of medicine and vegetables and asked us if we could help. Immediately we got the elderly couple grocery and medicines,” said Palanivel.

“We are getting a lot of support from the police. They let us go even after six knowing we are out to help the COVID-hit,” he said.